


In the Blue Haze

by Lil_Redhead



Series: Shirbert Oneshot + Drabble Collection [18]
Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: A 3x08 fix it story to add to the mix, A good ol' found family, F/M, First Kiss, and a thorough reading of Gilbert's "Book of Revelation"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 04:43:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21404380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Redhead/pseuds/Lil_Redhead
Summary: In which Anne loves Gilbert, Gilbert loves Anne, and Bash is caught hoping they'll come to their senses. (A post 3x08 story).
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: Shirbert Oneshot + Drabble Collection [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1075275
Comments: 47
Kudos: 649





	In the Blue Haze

**Author's Note:**

> I've had an awae hangover all day, but this story idea came to me when I was walking to class. Here's to hoping that Gilbert pulls his act together soon!
> 
> As always, enjoy!

Bash didn’t think there was anything particularly offensive about his front door, but Anne gaped at it like it was about to open into the fiery depths of the earth. From the garden, surrounded by Mary’s forget-me-nots and chrysanthemums, Bash had watched Anne Shirley march up to his door a total of two times. 

_Ah_ _wait, _he thought amused as she went up again, _that makes three._ Each time she spun on her heel, she’d only made it a few steps away before turning back to the door, hand raised and ready to knock. On the third time, though, she hurried down the porch steps and froze on the last one, catching Bash’s eye. Her shoulders rose up to her ears in surprise, and if Bash didn’t know any better, he’d say she’d been crying. 

“Family don’t have to knock, Anne-girl. Besides, nothing in that house is going to bite you, not even the teething baby,” he called out. Anne’s shoulders relaxed, but her face was still guarded. “I called out to you when you first walked by, but you didn’t hear me.” 

“I’m sorry,” Anne apologized. Bash couldn’t help but think that she looked like a chestnut colored doe, frightened to be caught and unsure where to escape to. “Is Gilbert home?” 

Understanding flooded through Bash, and he stabbed his rake into the ground. He shifted on his feet, peering down at his toes to avoid stepping on the flowers. Delivering unpleasant news was never truly his forte. Anne’s distress only spread across the yard as he hesitated, so he heaved a disappointed sigh.

“Gilbert left for Charlottetown this morning. He wasn’t sure when he’d be home.” 

“To see Winifred?” 

Bash frowned. He loved this skinny little redheaded queen of Avonlea, and to see her disintegrating away crumpled his heart like paper. All he could say was, “I’m so sorry, Anne.” 

She paled into a ghost right on the porch steps, nodding numbly. Her lips parted as if she might say something, but no sound followed. Swallowing, Anne climbed down the rest of the stairs. She shuffled across the dirt path with her battered heart bleeding on her sleeve.

“Anne?” Bash called out. She paused, looking over her shoulder with rosy eyes. “Why don’t you go in and say hello to the baby. I bet she’d be happy to see you. Take your mind off of things. ”

“That’s okay, Bash. I’ll just go home.” 

“I just thought you might like a free moment to yourself, is all,” Bash explained. “But if you’d rather go back to Green Gables, I won’t blame you.” 

Anne swiped a hand across her cheek and nodded. She considered heading back down the road, but eventually decided on the company of one tiny little girl. She moved into the house as if she were marching in her own funeral, a mere soul of a girl wandering around with unfinished business. Bash’s eyes lingered on her as she quietly entered the house and let out a quiet sob. 

“Damn it, Blythe,” Bash spat angrily, throwing his rake into the soil. He leaned his face into the sun, drinking in all of its warm light. “Oh, I wish he would’ve listened to you, Mary.” 

By the time he was done, Bash’s work in the garden had turned the humble plot of land into a creation fitting to honor his wife, but Anne had still not come from the house. She might’ve slid out of the back door, escaping into the solace of her beloved forests. But when Bash swung up the kitchen door, he found a quiet girl rocking his baby back and forth, smooth and steady like waves on a ship. Anne clung to Delphine, pressing her face in the baby girl’s hair and sniffled. When he called her name, she lifted her head and managed a smile. 

“Mind if I sit?” he asked gently. Anne shook her head, shaking Delphine on her knee. Across the table, he could see that her eyes were dry, but still red around the corner. Shiny streaks dried against her cheeks, but she’d stopped weeping some time ago. Bash searched for something to say, but Anne filled the silence by getting up to pour him a glass of water. She snuck a glance out the window before handing him the cup.

“The garden looks positively enchanting,” she complimented quietly. 

“Thank you very much. I took your advice about those little blue flowers. They’re very sweet.” He paused, tapping onto his glass. “Anne, what happened with you and Gilbert?” 

Anne’s eyes burst with panic. 

“Forget I asked!” Bash rushed. “I just wondered...Sometimes he barely tells me anything straight out.” 

At the counter, Anne turned her back to Bash and began stirring some of Delphine’s porridge over the stove. 

“There’s not much to tell. He came to me to tell me that Winifred’s parents were going to help him fulfill his dreams and he was considering proposing. Then he left.” 

Bash took a swig of his water, nearly slamming it back down on the table. 

“He said he asked you…” he trailed off. Maybe he shouldn’t be spreading around his brother’s business like this. 

“Asked me what?” Anne yelped, spinning around. Delphine let out a disapproving grunt. “He didn’t ask me anything.” 

“He didn’t?” Bash exclaimed. 

“I was admittedly a bit...inebriated, but of all the things he said to me, he never _ asked _ me anything,” Anne ranted. “He just said there was _ just one thing _ that was holding him back from going off with Winifred. And I...I didn’t know what to say! I rambled incoherently trying to gather my thoughts and then he _left _ .” Anne finished with a bitterness in her tone that Bash hadn’t heard from her before. She sat at the table with a half-angry, half-heartbroken _ thud. _“So no, he didn’t ask me anything.” 

Bash didn’t know what to say. How could he stand behind Gilbert, explain his behavior, when this force-of-nature of a girl struggled not to cry in their kitchen. He fought off the urge to drop his head into his hands, but for Anne’s sake, he bit the inside of his cheek.

“I don’t know why I thought he’d ever…” Anne swallowed, blinking furiously, determined not to cry. “I don’t have anything to offer him.” 

“That’s _ not _ true. Anne, everything that you are is more than that poor boy could ever deserve,” Bash argued immediately. He reached across the table, taking his fingers in hers. The freckles on the back of her hand looked like stars, and he gave a comforting squeeze. “For what it’s worth, I really, _ really _ wanted to be able to officially call you family. But no matter what happens, know this Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. On paper or no, you’re our family.” 

Anne’s eyes blinked in surprise, but her face crumbled seconds later. She bit her lip against the next onslaught of tears, chuckling with sobbing shudders as a few droplets dripped onto Dellie’s head. The peace of the moment was almost enough to soothe Anne’s aching heart, but the silence was interrupted by Bash’s mother calling from outside. 

“Mr. Blythe! We didn’t expect you home so soon! Come inside, come inside. Poor man must be tired!” 

Anne shot Bash a panicked expression, and snatched her hand back to wipe away her tears. When Gilbert’s silhouette formed behind the kitchen door’s curtains, Anne shot to her feet and hid around the corner, just out of sight. She looked over, wondering if she could slip out one of the windows without making any noise. It was only when Delphine yanked at one of her loose tresses that Anne realized she had brought the baby with her. Tossing Delphine a desperate, over-exaggerated grin, she willed Delphine to stay quiet. Looked like she was staying put, at least until Gilbert went up to his room.

It was hard to tell what was happening. 

“You’re back early,” Bash commented, only slightly choking at the knowledge that Anne was hiding just out of sight. Gilbert didn’t answer, but Anne heard the clinking of something small and metal dropping onto the table. A _ ring _? 

There was a pause, then Bash said slowly, “She said no?” 

“_I _said no,” Gilbert replied. A gasp almost escaped Anne’s lips, but she bit her tongue at the last second. “Why didn’t you wrap a chain around my ankle to keep me from going? I made such an ass of myself.” 

“You’re a grown man, Blythe. You can make your decisions without any influence from your brother. Besides, you asked me for my advice and you didn’t take it,” Bash teased, though the truth in his words was unmistakable. Gilbert only groaned in response. “Tell me about what happened.” 

There was a scraping off a chair as Gilbert sat down. 

“I took one look at Winifred and instead of saying _ Will you marry me _ like I planned_, _ I said, _ I’m so sorry, I can’t keep courting you. _If she hates me, I won’t be able to blame her. She wanted to know why.” 

“What’d you say?” 

“I told her why.” 

Anne wished she could peek around the corner and just get a glimpse of him. Maybe he was leaning back in his chair, curly hair unruly and throat exposed. An ache shot through her chest when she remembered that she had no right to be thinking about how handsome he was. Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder, was he disappointed the proposal hadn’t gone well? If she could just catch a glimpse of his face, she’d be able to tell right away. 

Silence settled on the room so thickly that Anne was surprised they both were still sitting there. But Gilbert needed time to process, and Bash was prepared to let him - even if it meant keeping Anne hiding behind the corner. Finally, Gilbert broke the silence.

“Sebastian, you were right,” he admitted lowly.

“About what?” 

“It’s always, _ always _been Anne,” he admitted. Anne felt her heart plummet into her stomach, sending a million butterflies erupting from thin air. Was he saying what she thought he was?

“I’m the biggest fool I know,” Gilbert lamented.

“You’re the biggest fool I know, too,” Bash quipped light-heartedly. Anne imagined Gilbert glaring across the table, but his chair scraped as if he had jumped to his feet. 

“This is serious!” Gilbert scolded. “You know, there was this moment the other night when I went to see her. She was dancing up on this old dory pretending to be a pirate, and everyone was cheering. But you know what I saw?” 

“What, Blythe?” 

“_Anne _ \- with her hair down, the fire behind her, looking so beautiful, the sight nearly knocked me to my knees.” He paused, and Anne suddenly felt moisture on her face. Delphine reached out her tiny fingers and touched the dampness.

“I’m _ such _an idiot. I didn’t even let her talk, I didn’t say what I wanted to say.” 

“What did you want to say?” 

“That I’m in love with her!” Gilbert burst. Anne nearly fell to her knees, with the shock of it. “Everything you said love is, everything you said it would feel like, it’s all there. I’ve known it since the day I met her. What have I been doing all this time?” 

Anne pressed her back against the wall, and leaned her head back. She couldn’t _ breathe_. Gilbert Blythe was in his kitchen, confessing to his brother that he was in love with her and she wasn’t dreaming. Delphine gave another tug on her hair just to remind her. 

“It’s not about what you’ve _ been _ doing, Gilbert. It’s about what you choose to do _ now. _” 

“I haven’t had a chance to think that far yet,” Gilbert admitted. 

“Haven’t you?” Bash challenged. “Sounds like you’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

Gilbert scoffed.

“I can’t expect her to listen to me. Not after everything I’ve put her through.” 

Bash let out an amused burst of laughter. 

“There’s the Gilbert Blythe I know. Congratulations on finally pulling your head out of your behind.” Gilbert swatted Bash. “Tell you the truth, I don’t think you have much to worry about.” 

“What makes you say-” 

It was at this precise moment that Delphine Lacroix let out an unexpected fit of giggles. Anne nearly jumped out of her skin, snapping back out of her thoughts to check and make sure Delphine hadn’t gotten into anything dangerous. But she was laughing as babies do, making Anne realize that Gilbert had stopped talking. With a deep breath, she rounded the corner and revealed herself. 

Gilbert’s face turned the same shade as Marilla’s rosebush and Anne wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or angry or both. Shame blanketed her under the soundless gazes of the Blythe-Lacroix men. She shouldn’t have listened so long, especially something so private. Lightning fast, Anne rambled out the first explanation she could think of.

“I didn’t mean to listen. I meant to leave when you came up the drive, but then I looked down and…” she bounced Delphine on her hip. Handing Bash his daughter, she wiped her sweaty palms on the skirts of her dress. “I’ll leave.” 

“Don’t,” Gilbert choked.

Anne’s brows shot up, and she wondered if she’d ever remember how to breathe. 

“Alright,” she murmured. 

Bash looked back and forth between them, then rose from the table.

“I better let you two talk,” he said, heading out of the room. 

But Anne and Gilbert didn’t talk. They gazed at each other, minds dancing around the words they needed to say, but never actually coming to any worthwhile conclusions. Anne wasn’t accustomed to being left without her words, but the longer she said nothing, the more desperate and sad Gilbert’s hazel eyes grew. He’d said all he could. It was her turn now. 

Dizzy with her own affection and anxious that one wrong move could send them flying apart, Anne crept forward. Gilbert watched her eagerly. When she gently took his hands, a breathy sigh escaped his lips and blew against her hair. Her presence was a balm to him, and whatever had been weighing on his shoulders began to lift away. Lifting their joined fingers, Anne leaned her face onto the back of his hand, pressing a kiss to his soft skin. Gilbert swallowed, his eyes nearly misty in the sunlight.

“I wanted to tell you everything,” he whispered. “When I was feeling more like myself.” 

Anne shook her head, smiling. She didn’t need a storybook confession. She’d renounce all of her childlike ideals if it meant he loved her - and he _ did. _ Everything she needed to know, she could see peering up at him with teary, lovestruck eyes. 

“You really love me?” she murmured hopefully. Gilbert’s face split into a grin, and he tugged Anne into his embrace. Her arms fell perfectly around his neck, and her head rested on his shoulder as if it had always meant to lay there. He buried his face into her hair and tightened his hold.

“I do,” he promised into her ear. “I _ do._” 

A shocked sound escaped her lips - halfway between a laugh and a sob. She murmured something incoherent into the fabric of his shirt, so he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. 

“What did you say?” he chuckled. Anne bit her lip and forced herself to tear her gaze off of the wooden floor. 

“I love you too,” she said. The words shot through Gilbert, and he brought his palm up to her face. “It’s so new to me, but it’s so _ clear. _ Everything you said, Gilbert, it’s all that way for me too.” 

“Really?” he choked. 

“Really. I just spent so much time thinking that I didn’t fit in your life, when really, you’re the only one who could ever fit in mine.” 

Her eyes were the color of the sea right when the moon disappears into sleep. It made Gilbert want to run down to the shoreline with her and shout into the whistling wind cries of victory. Instead, he took a deep breath to calm his beating heart, but no amount of controlled breathing or caresses of her hand would ever be enough to quiet his joyful heart. He was so far lost in his thoughts, dizzy with bliss, that he didn’t notice the glint in Anne’s eyes change. One minute she was smiling bashfully at their entwined hands, the next she was just breaths away, bumping his nose with her own. He had leaned down like a magnet pulled to her, meeting her halfway. 

It was the closest they’d been together - so close that Anne could count the shades of blue hiding amongst the greens and browns of his eyes. Bringing her gentle touch to the sides of his face, she rose to her toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Gilbert dissolved under her touch, holding onto her waist for purchase. He grinned into her kiss, too happy to hold it in, smiling even wider when her lips beneath his beamed just as much. 

From the doorway, Bash peeked his head in and felt his heart rise up into his throat. Suddenly all the things that he’d wished his brother could have didn’t seem so far out of reach. Gilbert would go to school, he’d learn and his compassion for healing others would grow, but he’d do it all with Anne at his side. No one would love him as strongly, support him so fiercely, or keep him level-headed throughout the inevitable trials of life. 

Bash’s eyes fell to the emerald ring sitting on the table. Green had always been Anne’s color. Given time, he knew he’d see the day the ring was put to good use, adorning a hand of freckled constellations.

**Author's Note:**

> Wanna chat? Come find me on tumblr ~ @royalcordelia!


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